Safety aeroplane



J. LEOPOLD SAFETY AEROPLANE Nov. 11, 1930.

Filed March-25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet, 1

INVENTOR. dose 072 Leopozd ATTORNEY Nov. 11, 1930. J. LEOPOLD 1,781,182

SAFETY AEROPLANE Filed March 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

J7 Z9 26 J7 z. & 11H H) 2 I A '5? Z 7 INVENTOR. Jose 0k Leopold ll aATTORNEY' Nov. 11, 1930. J. LEOPOLD SAFETY AEROPLANE Filed March 25,1929 55 Sheets-Sheet, 3

Rd mm m mudmm m m m m w I A m a w J Patented Nov. 11, 1930 v UNITEDSTATES JOSEPH LEOPOLD, OF NEW YORK, N.

AEROPLANE Application filed March 25, 1929. Serial No. 349,722.

This invention relates to similar subject matter to that disclosed in mycopendin application,-Serial No. 347,412 filed on l\/ arch v 15, 1929(originally filed September 3, 1927 under Serial No. 217 ,361).

' This invention relates to a flying machine rected vertically upwards.

For further comprehension of the invention, and. of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference willbe had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and

to the appended claims in which the various novel features of theinvention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosureFig. 1 is a plan view of a. device constructed according to thisinvention.

Fig.2 is a side elevational view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a frontelevaiional view. of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a Vertical sectional view takenon .35 the line44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed View of an automatic switch used tocontrol the operation of the reserve wings.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary schematic, view of i means for automaticallystopping the spreadin ofthereserve V ig. 7 is a fragmentary sectionalview of a portion of Fig. 2. V 4 Fig. 8 is a sectional View of one ofthe trunnions used for supporting motor driven propellers connected withthe reserve wings. The safety aeroplane consists of a flying machinebody 10 with 11, a plurality of motor driven propellers 12 movablymounted for action horizontally to the front or vertically upwards,means for moving said pro- T pellers. from one to the other of saidpositions,

reserve wings 13 hingedly mounted at their front edges 14 on the casingof said motor driven propellers 12 so as to be capable of as- 5: sumingpositions in the Vertical and extending rearwards in the position of thepropellers for action horizontally to the front and to be capable ofassuming positions in the horizontal and extending outwards in positionsof the propellers for action vertically upwards, means for holding thereserve wings in the first positions, resilient means for urging thereserve wings into the second positions, and means for manually movingthe reserve wings from the horizontal to the vertical while thepropellers are positioned for action in the Vertical.

The flying machine body 10 includes a landing gear 15, an elevator 16,atail wing 17, and other elements generally known. While a monoplane hasbeen illustrated on the drawing, the invention could be applied to abiplane or other type of aeroplane. The propellers 12 are shown to thefront of motor casings 18 provided with trunnions 19 pivotally mountedin standards 20 so that the casings may be moved to difierent positionsto direct the propellers towards the front or I upwards. In all, fivepropellers have been 0 shown, three to the front of the machine and twotowards the rear, but all of these propellers operate frontwards andareof the traction type.

The means for moving the propellers 12 for action horizontally to thefront or vertically u wards, consists of a segmental gear 21 on eacli ofthe motor casings 18 and meshing with pinions 22 on shafts 23 carryingworm wheels 24. A longitudinal shaft 25 is rotatively mounted in theaeroplane body 10 and is provided with worm pinions 26 meshing with theworm wheels 24. A worm wheel 27 is-fixed upon the shaft 25 and mesheswith a worm pinion 28 upon the shaft of a motor 29.

A hand wheel 30 is fixedupon the shaft 25 for manual rotation of theshaft, if this is desired. Before the shaft can be manually rotated itis necessary to disengage the worm.

spread conditions of the reserve wings.

27 from. the pinion 28; For this reason the worm 27 is provided with acatch 31 normally holding it engaged upon the shaft 25 and adaptedformanual releasing. Whenthe worm wheel 27 has been released from theshaft it may beslightly moved towards one side so that itis out of meshwith the worm pinion. j

Hinges 32 are arranged upon the front edges 14, of the reserve wings 13and connect these wings with the motor driven propeller casings 18. Asshown on. the drawing, there are only four reserve wings, one for eachof the motor driven propellers at the sides of the. aeroplane body. Thefifth propeller, that is, the central motor driven propeller, is notprovided with any reservewings. In Fig; 1 the dot and dash lines 33Indicate tllie s shown in this figure the reserve wings are closed, thatis, they extend in vertical planes and rearwards. When opened theyassume horizontal positions and extend sidewards.

The means forholding the reserve wings in the vertical and extendingrearwards, consis-ts of eye elements 34- attached upon the reserve wings13' and engageable by hooks 35 upon the standards 20. These parts are soarranged thatwhen the reserve wings 13 are in the vertical and thepropellers 12 directed upwards, and then the motor driven propellers aremoved so that they are disposed towards the front, the eye elementsautomatically engage on the hook elements and mainv tain the closedpositions of the wmgs.

Theresilient means for urging the reserve wings into the spreadpositions, that is, horizontal and extending sidewards, consists ofcoaxial springs 39 arranged upon the pivot points of the hinges 32 andacting between the wings and the standards 20. The ends of these coaxialsprings are clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and they are shown acting between the wings and the standards 20. The means for ,manually moving thereserve wings 13 from the horizontal to the vertical while thepropellersare positioned'for action in the vertical, consists of cables 36attached to the tips of the wings 13 and extended thru aplurality ofguide tubes 37 upon't-he aeroplane body 10 so as to termi- I hate in thevicinity of the pilots chamber. Rings 38 are attached upon the free endsof the cables 36 so that the pilot may manually grasp the rings and thusdraw upon the cables to collapse the wings.

Several air pressure switches 40 are mounted upon the aeroplane body andare; connected for operating themotor 29 for automatically movingthemotor driven propellers 12 from positions for action in thehorizontal t5 the frontt'o positions for action vertically upwards. Eachof these switches 40 consists of a casing 41 open at the front 42 toreceive air pressure during the flying of the machine,

providing gasoline to the motors within the casings 18. This jointconsists of the said standards 20 and the said trunnions 19. An elbowpipe 46 connects with the standard'29 and is urged against the nipple bya spring 47 so as to provide a liquid tight joint. In the event that themotors ,within the casing 18 are electrical, electrical leads may bepassed thru the passages in the swivel joint for the protection of theseleads during the moving of the motors. Fig. 6 shows a means forautomatically stopping the motor 29 after the propellers 12 have assumedtheir upwardly directed positions. This means consists of a finger 48attached upon the segment 21 and engageable against one end of a pivotedlever 49 provided with a contact 50, at its other end engageablewithcontacts 51 of a circuit 52 to the said motor 29.

The operation of the device may be traced by assuming it in flight withthe propellers 12 directed towards the front. If for some reason orother the device loses its headon flying speed the pilot mayenergize'the motor 29 for moving the propellers 12 so that they aredirected upwards and that the wings. 13

ergizing the motor 29.

The pilot may manually draw the rings 38 so as to close and open thewings 13 as desired for directing the-proper landing of the device.- Itshould be noticed that upon drawing the cable 36, the wings move totheir closed position and upon a release the coaxial springs serve toopen them. This arrangement perm its landing in a very small compass.

While I have shown and described thepreferred embodiment of myinvention, it is tobcunderstood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In combination with a safety aeroplane having a flying machine bodywith wings, a plurality of motor driven propellers movably mounted foraction horizontally to the front or vertically upwards, means for movingsaid propellers from one to the'other of said positions, reserve wingshingedly mounted at their front edges on the casing of said motor drivenpropellers so as to be capable of assuming positions in the vertical andextending rearwards in the positions of the propellers for actionhorizontally to the front and to be capable of assuming positions in thehorizontal and extending outwards in the position of the propellers foraction vertically upwards, and means for holding the reserve wings inthe first positions, of means for urging the reserve wings into thesecond positions, and means for manually moving the reserve wings fromthe horizontal to the vertical while the propellers are positioned foraction in the vertical.

2. In combination with a safety aeroplane having a flying machine bodywith wings, a plurality of motor driven propellers movably mounted foraction horizontally to the front or vertically upwards, means for movingsaid propellers from one to the other of said positions, reserve wingshingedly mount-ed at their front edges on the casing of said motordriven propellers so as to be capable of assuming positions in thevertical and extending real-Wards in the positions of the propellers foraction horizontally to the front and to be capable of assuming positionsin the horizontal and extending outwards in the position of thepropellers for action vertically upwards, and means for holding thereserve Wings in the first positions, of means for urging the reservewings into the second positions, and means for manually moving thereserve wings from 1 the horizontal to the vertical while the propellersare positioned for action guided thru guide tubes to the pilots chamber.

4. In combination with a safety aeroplane ing rearwards in the positionsof the propellers for action horizontally to the front and to be capableof assuming positions in the horizontallyand extending outwards in theposition of the propellers for action vertically upwards, and means forholding the reserve wings in the first positions, of-means for urgingthe reserve win 's into the second positions, and meansfor manuallymoving the reserve wings from the horizontal to the Vertical while thepropellers are posi-' tioned for action in the vertical, consisting ofcables attached to the free ends of the wings and guided thru ide tubesto the pilots chamber, and termlnating in rings for manual manipulationof the cables.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, this 19th day of March, A. D. 1929.

. JOSEPH LEOPOLD.

in the vertical, said means for urging the reserve wings into thesecondpositions consists of coaxial springs arranged upon the pivot points ofthe wings and acting between the wings and a relatively stationarycontact.

3. In combination with a safety aeroplane having a flying machine bodywith wings, a plurality of motor driven propellers movably mounted foraction horizontally to the front or vertically upwards, means for movingsaid propellers from one'to the other of said positions, reserve wingshingedly mounted at their front edges on the casing of said motor drivenpropellers so as to be capable of assuming positions in the vertlcalandextending rearwards in the positions of the propellers for actionhorizontally to the front and to be capable of assuming positions in thehorizontal and extending outwards in the position of the propellers foraction vertically upwards, and means for holding the reserve wings inthe first positions, of means for urging the reserve w ngs into thesecond positions, and means for manually moving the reserve wings fromthe horizontal to the vertical while the propellers are positioned foraction in the vertical, consisting of cables attached to the free endsof "the wings and

